Berkeley County Disaster Recovery Center opens

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Tuesday, Nov. 1) – A mobile Disaster Recovery Center will roll into Berkeley County Nov. 2 for four days to offer disaster assistance to survivors of the storms and floods of Hurricane Matthew.  The DRC will set up shop at the Alvin Recreation Center, 2191 Santee River Rd., St. Stephen, SC 29479.  It will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday – Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. It is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Nov. 5.

Representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, voluntary organizations and various state agencies will be on hand to answer questions, provide guidance on disaster recovery and rental resources, explain written correspondence from FEMA and make referrals to other agencies.

DRCs are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have tools to amplify sound, magnifiers and materials in alternative formats along with video remote interpretation. Sign language interpreters are available upon request at the center.

If possible, register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before visiting the DRC. Registering is the first step toward qualifying for disaster assistance, which may include grants to help renters and homeowners pay for temporary housing, personal property replacements and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

It’s easy to register with FEMA:

• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov
• Call toll-free 800-621-3362 (711, voice or video relay services) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. until further notice.
• Visit the Alvin Recreation Center DRC or one of the ten other Disaster Recovery Centers

(DRCs) operating in Beaufort, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Orangeburg and Williamsburg counties. Find the addresses of the DRCs at “Quick Links” on  DisasterAssistance.gov.

After registering with FEMA, survivors may also be eligible for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA offers such loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, renters and homeowners. SBA loans are for uninsured or underinsured disaster losses.

SBA advises it is not necessary to wait for an insurance settlement before submitting the loan application.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

You can  receive weather alerts, safety tips and learn about disaster resources by downloading the free FEMA App, available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices. Visit fema.gov/mobile-app for more information.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster- damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at  www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.